1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren bvogelbamb And Today I've got a classic. 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: Episode of a podcast for you. 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: In this one, we're talking about these slightly gross but 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: totally awesome science behind bruises and why they change color 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: while your body is healing from a bump. Hey, brain Stuff, 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren vogelbamb And. If you're anything like me and 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: absentmindedly attempt to walk through solid objects instead of around them, 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: you're familiar with bruises. They can be embarrassing reminders of 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: less than graceful moments, or, perhaps for an athlete with 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: hard won marks from a vigorous workout, a mark of 12 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: profound pride. But however you choose to view bruises, they're 13 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: pretty fascinating. The variety of colorful patterns they create on 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: the skin is reason enough to want to learn more 15 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: about these weird and sometimes painful spots that everyone is 16 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: coped with at one point or another. Otherwise known as 17 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: a contusion, a bruise is a mark that appears when 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: when blood is trapped underneath the surface of the skin. 19 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: Bruises occur when some type of trauma or injury crushes 20 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: tiny blood vessels known as capillaries, but doesn't break the skin. 21 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: As a result of the injury, the broken capillaries leak 22 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: out red blood cells, which get trapped under the skin, 23 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: collecting in a pool that forms the blue, purple, red, 24 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: black blemish. Bruises can feel tender when they first form 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: and can be accompanied by some swelling. They usually take 26 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: about two weeks to heal, but some bruises can last months. 27 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: During the healing period, the body breaks down and reabsorbs 28 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: the pooled blood that produced the mark. As this happens, 29 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: the color of the bruises can fade from dark to 30 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: light and take on all kinds of interesting hues along 31 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: the way. When a bruise first forms, it's usually some 32 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: shade of red thanks to the fresh blood just below 33 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: the skin's surface. After about a day or two, the 34 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: hemoglobin in the blood cells starts losing its oxygen, which 35 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: is what gives blood its red color in the first place. 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: Hemoglobin is the protein that transports oxygen to cells, so 37 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: as it's broken down by the BOTO, it loses that 38 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: oxygen it was carrying, and its red tone darkens and 39 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: shifts to blue. Purple and blackish tones. After a few 40 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: more days, the mark usually fades to greener yellow, before 41 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: being hit with a hint of brown and then fading 42 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: away completely. This color change. 43 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: Occurs as the body reuses the iron in the hemoglobin 44 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: to form new red blood cells. The unused decomposed hemoglobin 45 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: transforms into a green pigment called biliverdin, which then converts 46 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: into a yellow or light brown tinged compound called bilirubin. 47 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: As all these products are either reabsorbed or purged from 48 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: the body, the mark fades and disappears. Just About everyone 49 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: gets bruises, but some people are more prone to them 50 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,399 Speaker 2: than others. Elderly people, for example, may be more likely 51 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 2: to bruise to to thinner skin and softer tissue. Other 52 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 2: factors like certain diseases, medical conditions, and medications can also 53 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: increase a person's risk for bruising. So what do you 54 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: do when you get a hickey, a shiner, or any 55 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 2: other form of contusion. Usually time real life does heal 56 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: all wounds. Eventually, A serious bruise can develop clots that 57 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: take months to resolve, but will usually go away on 58 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 2: their own. And while there are plenty of urban myths 59 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: and tales about how to magically banish bruises in a snap. 60 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 2: The only legit healing method is to chill, literally and figuratively. 61 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 2: Doctors recommend applying ice right after the injury occurs, and 62 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: then resting the injured area as much as you can 63 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: for the next few days. After that, you can try 64 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: applying mild heat to increase blood flow, which might speed 65 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 2: the healing process up a little bit. By the way, 66 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 2: if you find yourself constantly battling bruises, you might want 67 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: to talk to a doctor to investigate whether you have 68 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 2: a nutrient deficiency because your blood requires vitamin K to 69 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: clock properly. If you don't have enough, you might bruise 70 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: more easily. Vitamin C is also important to protect your 71 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: blood vessels. Today's episode is based on the article why 72 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: do bruises change color as they heal? On hostifforks dot Com, 73 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 2: written by Shell cons Standinofsky. Brainstuff is production by Heart 74 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: Radio in partnership with how Stuffworks. 75 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: Dot Com is produced by Tyler Klag. 76 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: Four more podcasts my Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.